


Illumine, Illumine

by pennyluck



Category: Shall We Date?: Obey Me!
Genre: Age Difference, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Dark, Blood and Violence, Branding, Cults, Demon Summoning, Demon/Human Relationships, Depression, Deviates From Canon, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Extremely Dubious Consent, F/M, Fictional Religion & Theology, Gallows Humor, Gen, Heavy Angst, Human Sacrifice, Hurt/Comfort, Immortality, Insomnia, Multi, Near Death Experiences, Nightmares, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Possessive Behavior, Protectiveness, Religious Imagery & Symbolism, Sexual Content, Threats of Violence, Trauma
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-17
Updated: 2021-01-17
Packaged: 2021-03-13 17:00:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,710
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28781637
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pennyluck/pseuds/pennyluck
Summary: [Spoilers for S1 of Obey Me!]The human realm has spent centuries in shambles after the death of a human in the demon prince’s court. Solomon the Sorcerer has spent much of that time facilitating the humans’ new methods of worship and otherwise staying out of the affairs of mortals. Until he meets a young sacrifice in a desert city, meant for the demon who started it all.
Relationships: Solomon (Shall We Date?: Obey Me!) & Original Character(s)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 6





	Illumine, Illumine

**Author's Note:**

> ( **18/01** ): The main text has been updated and End Notes added to include English translations of the Latin.
> 
> ( **17/01** ): To be clear, the characterization of the boys in this story is off. They’re meant to be more monstrous and scary. These are not the same boys as canon, though there may be glimpses of them.
> 
> I also haven't tagged any romantic ships yet because I'm not quite sure how they'll develop. This is a journey for all of us.
> 
> And yes, I did use Google Translate for the Latin.

> What is dark within me, illumine.  
> \- _Paradise Lost_ , John Milton

Centuries ago there was a peace blossoming between the three realms. Humans, demons, and angels alike stood hand in hand in order to create a new world between them. While the demon prince toiled to bring his idea of unification to fruition, another force lurked unseen in his kingdom. A force of anger and malevolence growing in strength and numbers unimaginable, all with intent to throw the realms back into chaos and darkness.

The six demon lords had been granted a human soul to care for, whose life relied upon them working together. But there was another brother, lost to hatred and grief. He called the human to him, showed them kindness and trust in a way unexpected. And when the time was right, he struck, spilling the blood of promise in the house of the demon lords.

Brothers by creation, the seven fractured. Pushed apart by conflicting beliefs. Without them to lead the Devil’s realm grew in sin. The essence of each brother seeped from one realm to the next, seeding corruption amongst those most vulnerable. The human realm was overrun by warring demons and angels. Worship became the only mode of survival; some following the Celestial Book, others turning to worship at the Altars of Sin. All in hopes they would be spared continued pain and suffering in a word ruled by the almighty and everlasting.

***

The dust hazed skies were streaked with golden light as the sorcerer approached the walled city. He just passed into the city’s shadow when the bell tower buried within the streets began its sonorous toll. By the end of the twelfth ringing, the gates to the city would be barred until sunrise, lest the creatures beyond in the desert reap unto living flesh.

In the crowded streets, the sorcerer looked nothing more than a weary traveler. Long ago he shed the crests and jewels for a simpler wardrobe of unassuming colors and cuts. It was easier to move about the realms without eyes to follow. He pulled the hood of his cape further down and kept one hand on his satchel as he passed the shops and through the bustling night market. Scents of different foods spiced, fried, and baked wafted through the air. The sorcerer’s stomach grumbled in earnest, but he did not stop.

Further into the city he wound, labyrinthine cobbled passages marked by age, piss, and blood. Outside hidden dens of smoke were rows of inebriated bodies— laughing, crying, praying, fucking. Looking for relief. Several hands were to be shook off as he went, their touch sparking memories long buried. Memories he found luring him to return.

There was work to be done.

When the narrow streets turned quiet, the sorcerer knew he was close. Down an alley, a little house sat squashed under the rough stone buildings, the door marked in white paint: a symbol familiar and discreet, that of his Order. At street level there was a gate and steps leading down into what could have been a garden if the skies would break open. A man stood on the top step, eyeing the sorcerer as he neared.

“Quis est ibi?” [ 1 ]

The sorcerer came to a halt outside the gate.

“Magi in nomine Solomon.” Swiftly, he pulled the glove from his hand, turning it palm up. The same symbol of his Order etched into his skin. “Rogatus sum rite peragatur.”

After a moment, the guard nodded and shifted the gate open. With a friendly wave, Solomon the Sorcerer descended the steps to the small house below. _What a shame_ , he thought of the little house, _that humans had come so far only to be razed_. Rebuilding civilization after centuries of technological advancements were lost was no easy task, but if humans were anything it was resilient.

Solomon rapped on the door. Shuffling of feet sounded and then the door jerked open, revealing a woman donned in a worrisome look. She glanced up to the gate and back to the sorcerer.

“Elymas magus Solomon?” [ 2 ]

“Etiam.”

The woman’s face brightened only slightly under a half smile as she waved him in and shut the door behind them. The home was no more than four rooms. A hearth for cooking, a small storage room, and two tiny bedrooms separated by a thin plaster wall. The woman, Nadine, took his cape to hang on a peg by the door. The fire burned hot, the only source of fresh air the small windows at the tops of the outer walls of the home.

Nadine begged him to sit after long travel.

Firelight danced across the white walls, casting shadows from whatever objects blocked its way. Off to the side of the hearth, in a dim corner of the room sat a figure with their arms wrapped around themselves.

“Quis es?” Solomon asked. _Who are you?_

“Ah, filia mea. Adah.” The woman clicked her tongue in disapproval. “Est castitate. Stabit! Stabit!” [ 3 ]

The younger figure stood and went to kneel before him. By any account, she looked not much younger than himself. She took his hand in hers and pressed her forehead to his knuckles. The backs of her hands each bore symbols burned into her skin, similar to a sorcerer’s sigil for bounty. As she bent her head forward he caught a glimpse of another brand at the nape of her neck, but it was obscured by the braided rope of her hair.

 _This is her_ , he thought. _The one they chose to surrender._

Solomon had performed many rites over the course of his long lifetime. Most were meant as milestones, superficial markers of faith or time. Often, he made no judgments. At least he tried. Typically he was never present for _this_ type of ritual. Give the human leading the lamb the amulet or sigil needed for whichever entity they chose, collect the money and be on his way.

He had never met a lamb before.

“Adah.” Her name rolled off his tongue. Her downcast eyes flicked upward to meet his gaze, and his breath caught. How many years had it been since he’d seen eyes like that? He gave her fingers a light squeeze and smiled. “Ave, Adah.” [ 4 ]  
  


Night came and went. Nadine and Adah shared one of the bedrooms while Solomon was allowed the other to himself. After introductions were made, Adah was sent off to sleep and Nadine put together a simple supper for their guest. The bedroom was undecorated, utilitarian. A straw stuffed mattress on the floor, a warm woven blanket folded on the end, and a basin of cool water in the corner.

As he lay stretched on the mat, Solomon’s thoughts drifted to the girl in the next room. The sacrifice. Try as he might to forget, it gnawed at him, the look in her eyes. The hesitation in her steps, the way she held herself out of sight. It wasn’t his business to be involved in human’s rituals, only to facilitate. And yet. Perhaps if he had been more involved in the first place, none of this would be happening.

It was a thought playing on loop in his mind as he slept and still whirring at dawn.

  
  


Bells tolled in the distance, signaling the opening of the city gates.

“Cumque nobiscum veneris?” Nadine closed her hands around his, the amulet for luck still in his palm.

_Won’t you join us?_

Solomon hesitated. Nadine’s eyes pleaded with him. This morning she was happy, visibly excited for the day. Adah was already dressed in a simple muslin frock, her dark hair braided into a crown. She kept her gaze to the floor as her mother spoke.

“Honori fore,” Nadine nudged. [ 5 ]

Finally, Solomon nodded, his jaw twitched. It was an unwise decision, he knew. An old idiom came to mind: No one wants to know how the sausage is made.

Perhaps it could be a test for his resolve.

Nadine beamed and shooed Adah up and out the door before Solomon could hand her the amulet. He trailed behind them from the empty house and up to the street where a small crowd of family, neighbors, and other members of their flock gathered to walk the route to the temple. Adah was quickly swallowed up by the group, shoulders adorned with dried floral garlands, her wrists encircled in ivory bangles.

The parade proceeded through the city and out the gate nearest the temple, southeast of the wall. Many smaller temples resided in the city, each meant for specific demons or angels. The large temple, carved of stone sat alone in the dunes, was meant for demanding rituals such as this.

The closer the parade came to the temple, the tighter the knot in Solomon’s stomach became. It was not that death had never come at his hand, that he had never seen nor was responsible for the ending of a life. It was this girl in particular, _this_ sacrifice which worried him.

Adah’s head bobbed at the front of the crowd as she was led up the steps and into the inner temple. Solomon kept his distance, watching.

Under the shade of the temple roof, the flock began preparations. Much had already been done— garlands hung, carpets lain, bowls of clean water placed at the altar ahead. Glinting there under the lit sconces lay a golden dagger ready for its meal.

“Elymas magus Solomon,” Nadine appeared at his side. “Veni, veni.” [ 6 ]

She guided him to the front of the flock where Adah stood, her hands being washed, her face and neck bathed. With her hair tied away from her shoulders, her back to the flock, Solomon could see the etching burned into her skin more clearly. The knot in his stomach jerked. A familiar mark, one he did not often encounter in cities like this.

“Nadine,” he whispered. “Hoc pertinent ad donum?” [ 7 ]

With a teasing laugh she answered, “Dormiens in unum.”

The Sleeping One.

Adah was meant for _him_. Blood on the altar for _him_.

Solomon palmed the amulet in his pocket. This was the reason he refused to involve himself. Why he never insisted on meeting the lambs or being present for the rituals. He did not wish to know the lengths to which humans so desperately pushed themselves for any single semblance of control. He did not wish to make room for himself in the affairs of demons.

“Ille fuit bonus est nobis,” she said. Her eyes rested on her daughter, her hands steepled together. Her voice took on a matter of fact tone, if solemn. “Ut absque eo nihil.” [ 8 ]

 _Nothing?_ A tinge of anger burned Solomon’s tongue. _If it weren’t for him you would have everything and more._

He calmed himself, taking his hand from his pocket and rummaging through his satchel, before pulling a single pearlescent medallion from the bag. He held the pendant up for Nadine to see.

“Ut I?” [ 9 ]

She gasped excitedly. “Utique! Etiam!”

The woman bustled him forward, her hand twisting Adah around. She spoke quickly and hushed, telling the girl to thank him for his generosity. Adah bobbed her head in thanks before turning her back to him again, allowing him to hook the chain. When he did, he allowed his fingers to gently brush the marred skin. A flush crept onto her cheeks as she turned over her shoulder.

“Wisi enim ad minim donum, elymas magus Solomon.” [ 10 ]

Her voice was low, hushed even, as if she thought speaking any louder would draw ire. Her eyes, _those eyes_ , peered up at him with a listless sadness.

Adah was then drawn away and up to the altar, leaving him to stand below with the flock. A man in decorated robes stood behind the altar, a silken sash stretched between his hands. When the din of the flock settled, he began to speak, his voice cutting the air clear and strong.

“Bene iungere vobis in oratione pro nobis hodie. Honoratis saecula dormientis benigna dei ut misereatur.” He turned slightly to gesture toward Adah. “Filia nostra est vita eius sponte obtulerunt ut potest manducare, risu, et vivet.” [ 11 ]

_Our daughter._

The man gestured Adah forward, bringing her to stand behind the altar. He placed her arms behind her back, winding the sash around her wrists and knotting it tightly. Solomon’s jaw clenched when the man lifted the dagger, his free hand still placed on the back Adah’s neck.

“Ad valorem vitae ille non evanescit in morte.” [ 12 ] He pressed the girl forward so that she leaned over the table, the medallion dragging across the stone. Even from the distance he stood, Solomon could see the tears falling from Adah’s eyes, washing over her cheeks and dropping to the table. He cut a glance to Nadine whose eyes were shut, fingers clasped together as she prayed under her breath.

“Crudelis est et inquieta.” The man brought the dagger under Adah’s chin, the sharp blade pressing into her skin. “Sic et nos debemus pergere viventium.” [ 13 ]

With the last word, the man bit the blade into Adah’s skin and drew it.

Blood fell in splatters across her chest and trickled down her throat, her whole body shaking. The blade burned, but there was no running. The priest’s grip was too strong, the sash too tight. But before the blade could cut deeper, everything stopped. There was no noise coming from the flock, nor the priest. Only her own shaking breaths as the dagger clung to her flesh.

Adah’s knees buckled. An arm wrapped around her waist, another hand gently pushed the dagger away and pressed to the wound at her throat.

“Tu licet.” A voice in her ear. Master Solomon. Her eyes darted to where she had last seen him standing next to her mother, but he wasn’t there. “Adah, noli commoveri.” [ 14 ]

Her mind focused on his voice. He kept his hand pressed to her neck as his other quickly cut through the sash, freeing her hands.

“Quid agit?” Her voice shook. Her fingers sliding up her neck, dancing in the blood before turning to weakly grip his hand. Tears blurred her vision. “Quid agit?” [ 15 ]

Solomon came into view. She did not understand the way his brows knitted. Was it confusion? Anger? Worry? His arm wrapped around her once more, his hand guiding her by her elbow.

“Nos postulo ut movere,” he said. “Relinquo.” [ 16 ]

Leave? Her heart kicked into a faster pace. It was difficult enough to wrap her mind around what had just happened. Between the cutting and the freezing of the flock, what did _leave_ mean? Before the words could pass her lips, the sorcerer was leading her carefully around the flock and down the temple steps into the mid morning sun.

“Non enim ultima longa simplex leporem.” He tried to explain, but none of it made sense. [ 17 ]

Her bare feet sunk into the warm sand as they descended the last step of the temple. Without warning, the sorcerer pushed her behind him, shielding her from an oncoming group. The guards meant to keep other flocks from entering before the ritual was complete.

With his hand gone from her neck, the blood dripped and ran. Adah placed her own to the wound, hesitant and weak, in an attempt to stifle the bleeding. Her fingers were slick and warm and trembling. The sorcerer said something, so did the guards, but every sound seemed distant and muffled.

The hot morning breeze felt cool on her sweaty skin. Her eyes grew heavy and tired as the men around her spoke. A wave of ease swam over her as she closed her eyes, pushing her already weak knees to buckle again. Her feet stumbled in the sand, her forehead coming to rest between the sorcerer’s shoulders

 _Elymas…_ Her lips moved without sound. _Relinquo…_

A burst of wind spun sand up around their bodies, whipping the skirt of her dress around her legs and wrapping the tail of his cape around them both. A vice grip caught hold of her wrist as the wind rushed past, roaring in her ears. The hot air of the desert turned bitterly cold, sending shivers through her body. Solomon was still there, an anchor in the madness.

**Author's Note:**

> 1\. “Who is there?” / "I am the magician Solomon." [ return to text ]  
> 2\.  "Sorcerer Solomon?" / "Yes." [ return to text ]  
> 3\.  “Ah, my daughter. Adah.” / “Be respectful. Stand up! Stand up!” [ return to text ]  
> 4\.  "Hello, Adah." [ return to text ]  
> 5\.  "It would be an honor." [ return to text ]  
> 6\.  "Sorcerer Solomon. Come, come." [ return to text ]  
> 7\. "Nadine, who is this gift for?" / "The Sleeping One." / "He has been good to us." [ return to text ]  
> 8\.  "Without him, we have nothing." [ return to text ]  
> 9\.  "May I?" / "Of course! Yes!" [ return to text ]  
> 10\.  "Thank you for your gift, Sorcerer Solomon." [ return to text ]  
> 11\.  "Today we join together in prayer. We honor the kindness of our Sleeping God for his mercy." / "Our daughter has volunteered her life so that we may continue to eat, laugh, and live." [ return to text ]  
> 12\.  "The value of life does not vanish in death." [ return to text ]  
> 13\.  "We must be cruel." / "So that we may continue living." [ return to text ]  
> 14\.  "You're okay." / "Adah, do not worry." [ return to text ]  
> 15\.  "What happened?" / "What happened?" [ return to text ]  
> 16\.  "We need to move. To leave." [ return to text ]  
> 17\.  "Such a simple spell will not last long." [ return to text ]


End file.
